In March’s Our Local Heritage column, we visited the sites of several Indian villages in our area (If you didn’t see it, you can find it here: www.allekiskitoday.com/articles/1884 ). More or less connecting these villages in the 1600-1700s were a series of paths that crisscrossed the region. You might call them Native American "highways." Indirectly and directly, these Indian paths still affect you—some of the roads you drive, follow the same general routes today. As early explorers came through our area, they followed those same paths, as did settlers a few years right behind them. In many cases, they became roads. It figures. They lacked the equipment to move mountains like we do now (and cut straight across.) Pennsylvania's rugged landscape meant they had to follow those ravines and waterways.

Intrigued, I researched it and found that parts of Rt. 56 and Rt. 422 between Apollo and Indiana, parts of Pine Camp Road in Hyde Park, Spooky Hollow Rd in Burrell, as well as possibly Garver's Ferry between Leechburg and Apollo, all very likely developed along these old paths. And to help illustrate the path's course and make it a little more interesting, I wrote a little piece of historical fiction for you, to go along with it. Join us in this first of two articles as we explore…

First Roads: The Kiskiminetas Path

A time of bitter coldness had come upon the hills. Not much snow, but enough to make for slippery going. You did not plan to be walking the trail this late in winter. The weather was always unpredictable here in the land the Anglos called “Pennsylvania”—Penn’s Woods—but during this season, one could have snow, rain, wind, sleet and hot sun, all in the same day. Hopefully you can make it to the village before the sun set. Kiskiminetas Old Town is still several miles away.

Monument on the Kiski Path

Typical trails of Indians and animals often followed the lay of the land, curving around hills, sloping up ridges and following streams or rivers. With the abundance of streams and rivers in our area, it was only natural that both would carve paths in our area. For animals, trails led to food or water. But for Native Americans, these paths connected villages or lay along migratory routes. They became communications and trading routes as well.

You left the other warrior, Running Deer, on the other trail. “He should be named “Running Mouth,” you think to yourself. All he had done for the past day as they journeyed was talk about the message they were carrying and what it meant. He'd continued northwestward on the Kittanning Path to deliver the message to the village there. But you had branched off on the Kiskiminetas Path, westerly towards the setting of the sun. Now only the chirping of the birds filled your ears, for which you were grateful. After Running Deer's chatter, the peaceful silence was golden. It would be broken soon enough. The Lenni-Lenape at Kiskiminetas Old Town would see to that, once they heard the message you carried.

The Kittanning Path was an area name for the west part of the Frankstown Path. It snaked from Eastern PA to Kittanning. About six miles from Indiana, the Kittanning Path went northwest, and the Kiskiminetas Path split off almost due west. The exact course the path actually took appears to be unknown, but various historical resources indicate the general area. The actual trail probably varied a little, following creek beds, ravines or ridges. But today, you can still roughly follow this trail by car. Leaving Indiana on Philadelphia St. and going towards Kittanning, you'll soon come to the top of a hill (called Watts Hill) just before getting to the 422 interchange. The Kiski path forked off to the left in this area. Nearly a mile past the interchange, turn left on Parkwood Rd. About a mile later, take the second or third left, which should be Hickory Rd. Follow it for about a mile and a half then turn right on old Rt. 56 west. You'll stay straight on this road about 14 miles or so. You'll pass Birch Rd. and Craig Rd.

You come to a large stream, which you follow a ways until it turns south. It leads to the village of Lenni-Lenape warriors the Anglos called Black Legs. You could follow the water to the village, which sits on the banks of the Kiskiminetas River, and just stick to its downstream course. There is a path there from the Loyalhanna; it would take you very near your destinations. But that was not where you have been sent to go. Others, probably from the Cough-naugh-maugh tribes, would fill them in. Besides, the Kiskiminetas was a river of many bends—following it would add hours onto your trip. The sun shines bright as you make your way across a shallow place in the creek.

Jack Suich

Just as you pass Birch and Craig Rds. on old Rt. 56, you may see a winding stream along the road. This is Blacklegs Creek, which flows into the Kiski River. On the banks where it joins the Kiski sat an Indian village called Black Legs, though evidence of Native American culture has been found all up and down Blacklegs Creek. They most likely were Lenni-Lenape, also known as the Delaware. Just up river from Black Legs is Saltsburg, where the Conemaugh and Loyalhanna Rivers join to form the Kiski. A path here (but not the Kiskiminetas Path) followed the Kiski River downstream until somewhere around present-day Apollo.

Still on Rt. 56, now continue traveling west, through the village of West Lebanon. You will then pass Grapevine Rd. and Hemlock Rd. before the road ends near Shady Plains and Spring Church. When the road ends, you will at a junction with Rt. 56.

Near the Round Holes, you arrive at the village. But it looks deserted. No one is there. And something is wrong—there is no river to cross before the village. This cannot be right…then you remember. This is not Kiskiminetas Old Town, Tohogus, the site of an earlier village. "Probably the Shawnee," you say aloud to yourself as you move on. You have more to journey, and daylight is beginning to fade. And it is starting to snow.

According to Paul Wallace, a 1965 writer for the State Historical And Museum Commission, the Kiski Path passed an area called the "Round Holes," near Spring Church. It apparently was in reference to the bubbling springs there at "Boiling Springs" in Spring Church. Today, if you are following this path, you can find a monument with a millstone behind Spring Church Lutheran Church. It bears this inscription: "Boiling Springs - Round Hole – Ten Mile Lick: A favorite resting place on the Old Trader's Path where the water boiled up 2 to 4 feet. It was here Conrad Weiser slept Aug. 24, 1745." Harry Parks donated the millstone, and the local Boy Scout Council put the monument together in 1968. They also apparently restored a large section of the trail at that time.

Just off old Rt. 56, east of Indiana. Part of the path may have gone right through here.

There have been some references made to an Indian village that was in the Spring Church/Shelocta area, called "Tohogus," or "LeTort's Town." James Letort, an explorer, was in the Conemaugh area in 1731, where he reported a village but it is uncertain how or if he was involved with the Spring Church village. That coincides with Wallace's illustration of the Kiskiminetas Path, which placed a village at Shelocta near the before-mentioned Kittanning Path. Little other information about Tohogus and its location is available to this writer at this time, but it is likely that the inhabitants were Lenape or possibly Shawnee. Both groups were in our area.

Jack Suich, an area resident and committed student of local Native American culture, has found artifacts of these early residents in surrounding areas. Suich also was familiar with Conrad Weiser, who was mentioned on the above inscription. But you'll have to watch Jack in the online video to find out more about Mr. Weiser.

As you slip and slide your way through the slightly-snow-covered ravines, you briefly consider changing direction and cutting over some hills down to the Kiskiminetas River. You know of many war parties who have used that route before. Will it save time for you? Is it a faster way? Or more treacherous?

Find out in April's "Our Local Heritage", found only in Alle-Kiski Today. But be sure to check out this month's Our Local Heritage program, found here. We take you on this section of the Kiskiminetas Path, and show you probable places it went, as well as look at the millstone and talk with Jack Suich about some of the Native American culture here. And just wait until you find out another reason they may have called the Blacklegs village "Black Legs"!

To watch the video go to http://www.alle-kiskitoday.com/webcasts/1333